Michael J. Feuer, Foreword by Ellen Condliffe Lagemann

In The Rising Price of Objectivity, Michael J. Feuer describes what he sees as a “perfect storm” gathering in the sea of education research. He notes the convergence of three important trends: first, the rise in strategic education philanthropy; second, the decline in federal funding, in part due to ideologically contested priorities; and third, the growing influence of nonacademic think tanks operating outside the constraints of university-based research. Together, he cautions, the combination of these forces threatens scientific research generally, and in particular, jeopardizes the effort to generate independent, credible evidence that is needed to inform and guide our efforts to improve education.

Feuer proposes a series of measures for countering the drift toward ideology over inquiry and ensuring that private foundations, the so-called advice industry, and the federal government protect the reliability and credibility of education research for the advancement of the public good.

The author’s thoughtful, fair-minded, and engaging analysis offers a unique perspective on the distinctively American approach to funding new knowledge in education.

Praise

Michael Feuer has spent decades during his career evaluating, protecting, and explaining social science research in the service of policy communities. He is one of our best commentators on the august but elusive ideal of objectivity. Everyone concerned about the relationship between advocacy and independent research should read this book.
— Carl Kaestle, university professor emeritus of education, history, and public policy, Brown University

Michael Feuer has shed light on a serious challenge to the independent inquiry needed to inform effective government decision making in this area. Drawing on his unique perspective as an education scholar, economist, and former research executive, Feuer proposes promising remedies and steers clear of the ideological warfare that has polarized most education policy debates.
— Dale Russakoff, author of The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools?

The Rising Price of Objectivity is a cogently written, insightful, and witty analysis of how important it is to get the funding of education research right and what forces and factors make that such a challenging task. Readers will likely have some of their preconceptions confirmed and others challenged in a way that sparks the kind of rigorous thinking this topic so deserves.
— Diana Hess, dean and Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair of Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education

The Rising Price of Objectivity is a useful resource for understanding the state of education research funding, including how current trends are likely to shift the demands of researchers, institutions, and organizations.
— Kamden Strunk, Teachers College Record

This book is a refreshing contrast to the rhetoric and blame that are often attributed to educational research and policy.
— Julie Chami, University of Chicago Press